Ski carrying device

ABSTRACT

A ski carrying device including a carrying strap having a first end with first and second loops. The first loop is captive to the second loop in chain formation so that the loops can pivot freely relative to one another. Alternatively, the loops can be fixed together. The first loop is adapted to be looped around a pair of skis to retain the skis together, and the second loop is adapted to be looped around part of a boot binding on one of the skis, to support the weight of the skis when the carrying strap is picked up. A second end of the strap carries at least another loop adapted to be looped around another part of the pair of skis.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation on International Patent Application Serial No. PCT/GB2003/004840 filed Nov. 7, 2003, the contents of which are here incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a ski carrying device, and particularly, but not exclusively, relates to a ski carrying device for enabling a user to carry a pair of skis hands free.

2. Prior Art

It has previously been proposed to provide a ski carrying device to facilitate carrying a pair of skis when not being used. Previous devices have included a Velcro™, strip which may be fastened about the pair of skis to form a loop. A user can fasten a Velcro™ strip at each end of the skis to prevent the skis from coming apart. A carrying handle may be provided, the ends of which are secured to the Velcro™ loops to enable the secured skis to be picked up once the Velcro™ has been attached.

However, the use of Velcro™ or any other adjustable attachment mechanism is relatively difficult when wearing thick winter gloves or mittens as is normal when skiing or when traveling to and from the ski piste. Also the Velcro™ loops can come loose during use and can slide up and down the skis causing the skis to unbalance or move around beneath the carrying handle thus unbalancing the carrier of the skis.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a ski carrying device comprising a carrying strap a first end of which carries first and second loops, the first loop being captive to the first strap end, and the second loop being captive to the first loop in chain formation, the first loop being adapted to be looped around a pair of skis to retain the skis together, the second loop being adapted to be looped around part of a boot binding on one of the skis, to support the weight of the skis when the carrying strap is picked up, a second end of the strap carrying at least another loop adapted to be looped around another part of the pair of skis.

The second loop may be fixedly secured to the first loop, but preferably the second loop is capable of pivotal movement relative to the first loop.

The freedom to pivot is conveniently achieved by suitable dimensioning of the first and second loops and by not fixedly attaching the first loop to the second loop.

Preferably the first loop is fixedly secured to the first end of the strap. Preferably the first loop is formed integrally with the strap. Preferably the loops are of non-adjustable dimensions.

Preferably the strap and loops are formed from a woven fabric material. Most preferably indicia such as a trade name are woven into the material.

Preferably a second end of the carrying strap also carries two loops one loop of said second end loops being adapted to be looped around the pair of skis, the other loop of said second end loops being adapted to be looped around a boot binding.

Preferably said one loop of said second end loops is fixedly secured to the second strap end.

Preferably the length of the carrying strap is adjustable such that, when in a short condition the strap, in use, can be gripped by a hand of a user, and when in a lengthened condition, the strap can be supported by a shoulder of the user.

Preferably the carrying strap comprises two strap halves which may be releasably secured together.

Preferably the two halves of the carrying strap can be releasably secured together using a quick release mechanism.

Other aspects of the present invention may include any combination of the features or limitations referred to herein.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a ski carrying device comprising a carrying strap a first end of which carries a pair of loops, one loop being adapted to be looped around a pair of skis to retain the skis together, the other loop being adapted to be looped around part of the boot binding on one of the skis, to support the weight of the skis when the carrying strap is picked up.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention may be carried into practice in various ways, but embodiments will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ski carrying device in accordance with the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ski carrying device of FIG. 1, mounted on a pair of skis, and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view corresponding to FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring initially to FIG. 1, a ski carrying device 1 comprises two straps 2, 3. Each strap 2, 3 is manufactured from a flexible, woven material which is substantially nylon based. Any other flexible material of strength suitable for carrying a pair of skis may alternatively be used. The straps 2, 3 may be provided with indicia such as a trade name or manufacturer name. Such indicia could be printed onto the straps 2, 3 or interwoven integrally with the straps 2, 3.

Strap 2 has one end secured to a female part 4 of a quick release buckle of well known construction. The end of the strap 2 is fed through the female part 4 and is secured to the strap 2 using a sliding length adjuster 5. The length adjuster 5 is used in known manner to lengthen or shorten the effective length of the strap 2. The opposite end of the strap 2 has a first loop 6 fixedly secured thereto, the first loop 6 being formed by looping the end of the strap back on itself and stitching the looped end to another part of the strap 2 spaced from the extremity of the strap end. The loop 6 is thus formed integrally with the strap 2 and is of predetermined, non-adjustable length.

A second loop 7 is captive to the first loop 6. The second loop 7 comprises a strip of material which is fed through the loop 6, and curved into a loop. The ends of the loop 7 are secured together using stitching or the like. The loop 7 is formed from a woven, flexible fabric which may be the same fabric as the strap 2. The second loop 7 is captively retained to the first loop 6 in chain formation, namely so that loop 7 can pivot freely relative to first loop 6. The advantage of this is that with the first loop 6 located around the skis it is easy to manipulate the second loop 7 so that the second loop 7 is positioned on a boot binding. The strap 3 has one end secured to a male part 8 of the buckle and another end formed in a further loop 9 in similar manner to loop 6 of strap 2. A loop 10 is captive to loop 9 in similar manner to loop 7 being captive to loop 6.

Thus one end of each strap 2, 3 is provided with two adjacent loops whilst the other end of each strap is provided with a respective part of a buckle.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, a first ski 18 comprises a boot binding 11 securing a ski boot to the ski 18. The binding 11 comprises a toe retaining portion 12 and a heel retaining portion 13. A second ski 14 is of similar construction and comprises a binding 15 having a toe retaining portion 16 and a heel retaining portion 17.

The skis 18, 14 are located with the base of the skis 18, 14 parallel to, and adjacent, one another. The skis 18, 14 may be provided with an attachment mechanism (not shown) for releasably securing the two skis 18, 14 in this position. Such an attachment mechanism often comprises two prongs on each ski 18, 14 which interengage. The two prongs on each ski 18, 14 also function as ski brakes when the individual skis 18, 14 are placed with the bases on the snow and with the bindings open.

The ski carrying device 1 is used as follows:

In use, the loop 6 of strap 2 of the ski carrying device 1 is passed over a lower end of the skis 18, 14 and is slid along the skis to a position adjacent heel retaining portion 13, 17 of respective bindings 11 and 15. The loop 7 is then looped over the heel retaining portion 17 of binding 15, this having the advantage that if the skis are standing in a vertical orientation, the loop 7 will hold the lower strap 2 in the air whilst the other strap 3 is being assembled to the skis.

In order to assemble strap 3 to the skis, the loop 9 of strap 3 is passed over and slid along the other end of skis 18, 14 and slid to a position adjacent toe retaining portions 12, 16 of respective bindings 11 and 15. The loop 10 is then looped over the toe retaining portion 16 of binding 15.

The male part 8 of the buckle may then be inserted into the female part 4 of the buckle such that the straps 2 and 3 form a continuous carrying strap or handle.

The handle may then be used to pick up the pair of skis 18, 14 and to carry the skis as would be necessary, for example, when leaving the piste and returning to a hotel or the like.

It will be appreciated that the loops 6, 9 around the skis, especially when under tension as during carrying the skis with the handle 7, assist in holding the pair of skis 18, 14 together. The loops 7, 10 around the binding absorb the weight of the skis 18, 14 when the skis 18, 14 are picked up and carried. It will be appreciated that depending on which end of the skis are tilted upwardly only one of the loops 7, 10 may absorb the weight of the skis 18, 14. For example, if the skis are tilted so that the toe retaining portions 12 and 16 are uppermost, the loop 7 will absorb the weight of the skis.

It will be appreciated that when carried upright, the lower captive loop 7, which does not support the weight of the skis, if so wished, can receive the pointed ends of two ski poles, the handle straps of which can be looped over and between the tips of the skis.

Thus the double loop arrangement at the ends of the straps 2, 3 serve a dual function to retain the skis together and support the weight of the skis when carried.

The length of the strap 2 can be adjusted using length adjuster 5 between a shortened condition, in which the handle can be gripped by a hand of a user so that the skis 18, 14 are carried by the user's side, and a lengthened condition in which the handle rests on a user's shoulder so that the skis 18, 14 hang by the user's side or on the user's back.

It will be appreciated that the loops 6, 7, 9 and 10 are all of fixed dimensions and need no adjustment to be operated. Because there are two points of attachment at each end of the skis 18, 14 there is no need to adjust the loops so as to be tightly wrapped around the skis 18, 14 or the bindings 11, 15. Indeed the loops are specifically dimensioned such that the loops may be easily and quickly placed around the skis 18, 14 or the bindings 11, 15 using gloved hands without adjustment. Thus there is no need to have Velcro™ adjustment or the like to tighten the loops around the respective parts of the skis 18, 14.

However this looseness of fit and ease of use does not affect the portability of the device when attached to the skis because two of the loops 6, 9 when under tension fasten the skis 18, 14 together whilst at least one another loop 6, 7 or 10 absorbs the weight of the skis 18, 14. It does not matter which way the skis 18, 14 are moved or tilted because one of the loops 7, 10 will always absorb the weight of the skis 18, 14 whilst the other loops 6, 9 fasten the skis 18, 14 together.

Either strap 2, 3 could alternatively be used without the other such that the skis 18, 14 are secured together using, for example only loop 9 of strap 3 and are supported by only loop 10 over the toe retaining portion 16 of binding 15. The end of the strap 2 adjacent the male part 8 of the buckle could be gripped by a user and indeed a handle could be provided instead of the male part 8 of the buckle. 

1. A ski carrying device comprising a carrying strap a first end of which carries first and second loops, the first loop being captive to the first strap end, and the second loop being captive to the first loop in chain formation, the first loop being adapted to be looped around a pair of skis to retain the skis together, the second loop being adapted to be looped around part of a boot binding on one of the skis, to support the weight of the skis when the carrying strap is picked up, a second end of the strap carrying at least another loop adapted to be looped around another part of the pair of skis.
 2. A ski carrying device of claim 1 in which the second loop is capable of pivotal movement relative to the first loop.
 3. A ski carrying device of claim 1 wherein the first loop is fixedly secured to the first end of the strap.
 4. A ski carrying device of claim 3 wherein the first loop is formed integrally with the strap.
 5. A ski carrying device of claim 1 wherein the first and second loops are of non-adjustable dimensions.
 6. A ski carrying device of claim 1 wherein the strap and said loops are formed from a woven fabric material.
 7. A ski carrying device of claim 5 wherein indicia such as a trade name are woven into the material.
 8. A ski carrying device of claim 1 wherein the second end of the carrying strap also carries two loops, one loop of said second end loops being adapted to be looped around the pair of skis, the other loop of said second end loops being adapted to be looped around a boot binding.
 9. The ski carrying device of claim 1 wherein the length of the carrying strap is adjustable such that, when in a short condition the strap, in use, can be gripped by a hand of a user, and when in a lengthened condition, the strap can be supported by a shoulder of the user.
 10. The ski carrying device of claim 1 wherein the carrying strap comprises two strap halves which can be releasably secured together.
 11. The ski carrying device of claim 1 wherein the two halves of the carrying strap can be releasably secured together using a quick release mechanism. 